THE new Ilkley Playhouse season of productions beginning in September 2015 has been announced.

Once again it is a careful balance of comedy, drama, suspense, history and music. Artistic director David Kirk is thrilled with the final choices and particularly pleased that the company have been given special permission by Cameron Mackintosh to stage the musical Betty Blue Eyes at the end of the season, not yet released for amateur production.

David said: “Our 2015/16 season is again worthy of the professional rep badge, opening with the thriller, Dead Guilty followed by the historical drama Mary Stuart. A specially commissioned green room production and a revival of the all-women comedy drama Steel Magnolias brings 2015 to a close with My Boy Jack opening in January 2016 followed by David Hare’s Breath of Life in the Wildman and Thornton Wilder’s period comedy The Matchmaker in the main house. A revival of Educating Rita, Coward’s drama The Vortex and the farce One Slight Hitch take the season to its climactic conclusion - the UK amateur premiere of the musical Betty Blue Eyes.”

This final production is a real coup for the Playhouse. It is based on Alan Bennett’s film A Private Function which starred Maggie Smith and Michael Palin. Filmed in and around Ilkley in the 1980s many Playhouse members appeared as extras. As David said: “I am elated that we have been given the performing rights. I was an extra in the film all that time ago and the musical version is just as funny. It will be the perfect climax to a truly wonderful season which I hope will encourage more audience members to take up a permanent booking with us for every production in the season.”

Meanwhile the current season continues with Alan Bennett’s The History Boys which starts on Monday, March 16. Partly autobiographical, it charts the progress of an unruly bunch of bright sixth formers each determined to gain a place at Oxbridge and is full of Bennett’s characteristic shrewd witticisms on life, education and history. With the cast comprising four current Ilkley Grammar School students and one former pupil there is likely to be an increased demand for tickets. Director Miranda Armitage is certainly relishing her role and said: “For me, The History Boys is one play I have always wanted to direct. Bennett wrote of the original production ‘The cast were both a joy and a help. I cannot remember rehearsals that I have enjoyed more.’ I share his view completely.”

The performance on Wednesday, March 25 will be signed by British Sign Language interpreter Keren Seabrook. Playhouse spokesperson Hilary Rundle said: “We are delighted that Keren has, once again, agreed to interpret one of our plays and we are very grateful to her. We are keen to get the message out there about our signed evenings and we encourage anyone who has a deaf or hard-of-hearing friend or family member who might be interested in coming along, to let them know.”

The play runs from Monday, March 16 to 28 with the first Saturday being a matinee at 2.30pm. Tickets £11/£9.

On Sunday, March 22 Fleapit Cinema presents A Month in the Country. This 1987 film, directed by Pat O’Connor, was adapted from J.L. Carr’s novel of the same name and stars Colin Firth, Kenneth Branagh, Natasha Richardson and Patrick Malahide. Set in rural Yorkshire during the 1920s, the film follows a destitute World War I veteran employed to carry out restoration work on a medieval mural discovered in a rural church while coming to terms with the after-effects of the war. Shot during the summer of 1986 and featuring an original score by Howard Blake, the film has been neglected since its cinema release and it was only in 2004 that an original 35mm film print was discovered due to the intervention of a fan. Film starts at 2pm, tickets £5 to include tea and cake.

Another date to remember is Saturday, April 18 for the first Stagefright Comedy Club of 2015. The evening will be headlined by Jim Tavare who co-wrote and starred in the Bafta award-winning The Sketch Show and is instantly recognisable as the landlord from the Leaky Cauldron in the Harry Potter films. Bar opens at 7.30pm.

Visit ilkleyplayhouse.co.uk or 01943 609539 for tickets and information.